Montgomery and Mingo have balancing act on line

this is a discussion within the College Community Forum; While one LSU starting defensive end was gaining weight in the offseason, the other one was losing weight.
It’s symbolic of how right end Sam Montgomery and left end Barkevious Mingo balance one another and give the Tigers one of ...

While one LSU starting defensive end was gaining weight in the offseason, the other one was losing weight.

It’s symbolic of how right end Sam Montgomery and left end Barkevious Mingo balance one another and give the Tigers one of the best tandems of ends in the country.

“I think we both rely on each other’s strength to make a whole,” Montgomery said after practice Thursday. “We can both get up the field and we can both play the run. I lean to the power side and Mingo leans to the speed side. We have good balance.”

Montgomery said he has added about 30 pounds since the end of last season without losing any of his speed. Mingo, one of the fastest ends in the country, reported about 12 pounds lighter than he was when last season began.

After weighing 240 pounds “on a good day” last season, Montgomery decided he needed to be bigger for the rigors of a Southeastern Conference schedule and a season that could last for 14 games, as last year’s did.

“I looked at the playing weight I was at and I looked at the other defensive ends around the country and I noticed they were heavier,” Montgomery said. “I realized I needed to add some weight to compete in their weight class and I had to keep my speed up.

“I know the SEC is one of those big-boy leagues. I know later on in the season you’re going to have less injury if you have more meat on your bones. You have be ready for like Week 5 or 6 when the tougher opponents start on the schedules. That’s when most teams start to break down. You’ve got to have your main guys survive the whole season.”